At least 149 killed as powerful 71 earthquake strikes central Mexico A powerful earthquake shook central Mexico on Tuesday, collapsing homes and bridges across hundreds of miles, killing at least 149 people and sending thousands more fleeing into the streets screaming in a country still reeling from a deadly temblor that struck less than two weeks ago

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

The earthquake caused apartment blocks to sway violently in the center of Mexico City, including in the historic districts of El Centro and Roma, crumbling balconies and causing huge cracks to appear on building facades Panic spread through the citys core; rescue vehicles screamed toward damaged buildings, and neighbors took on heroic roles as rescuers At least 49 people were reported killed and 44 buildings severely damaged in the capital alone Ten other people died in the surrounding state of Mexico, 55 across the state of Morelos, 32 in Puebla state and three in Guerrero state, according to a tweet from Luis Felipe Puente, head of the national Civil Defense agency The earthquake struck on the anniversary of a 1985 quake, which killed thousands of people and devastated large parts of Mexico City — a tragedy that President Enrique Peña Nieto had commemorated earlier in the day

At around 11 am, Julian Dominguez heard alarms sounding in the neighborhood of Iztapalapa, part of a citywide drill to mark the anniversary of the 80 magnitude quake Schools and other buildings evacuated, but he kept working at his computer About two hours later, he started to feel the building move, and alarms sounded again

It started really slowly,” he said, but within seconds it was clear that this was no drill Dominguez raced down a flight of stairs Crowds of people already had gathered outside Women were crying, worried for their children still in school It was strange that it fell on the same day …as another earthquake that caused so much damage, said Dominguez, 27

The federal government declared a state of disaster Mexico City and dispatched 3,428 troops to affected areas there and in nearby states We are facing a new emergency in Mexico City, in the state of Puebla and Morelos, following the 71 magnitude earthquake,” Peña Nieto said, adding that he had asked all hospitals to help care for the injured On Amsterdam Street, a normally tranquil road that rings a major park in the upscale Mexico City neighborhood of Condesa, a large apartment building disintegrated into a pile of concrete and dust

Hundreds of residents helped a team of soldiers, police officers and firefighters search the rubble for survivors Many of the men were shirtless in the late summer heat, and everyone was covered with dust Some rescuers commandeered shopping carts from a nearby supermarket and formed a human chain to haul away rubble Several times, a warning went up about a possible aftershock or gas leak, sending hordes of panicked people running But there were few places that would be safe

Amsterdam, like many streets in Condesa, is narrow and lined with trees and power lines, all of which could turn deadly in an aftershock The neighborhood was filled with thousands of dazed survivors too afraid to return to their homes They stood around with dogs and suitcases, holding their heads and checking social media feeds on their phones Many ducked into their apartments to bring food and water for rescuers Juan Jose Martinez, 52, felt the earthquake at his home several miles away

There was no damage to his neighborhood, so he and three relatives grabbed shovels and construction helmets and set out on foot to the most affected areas “What else would we do?” he said “This is our Mexico Everybody needs help sometimes”